Many disposable or one-time-use products are tracked using RFID-based inventory-tracking systems. These inventory tracking systems enable continuous tracking of the products beginning at the manufacturing process, through the supply chain, and culminating at a medical facility or hospital. This tracking provides the data needed to assure that the correct products are always on-hand when needed, that they are restocked after use, that expired products are not erroneously used, and that recalled products are removed from shelves at the point of use.
Some of these products, such as medical products like guide wires or drug-eluted stents, are stored in foil pouches or foil-lined boxes. Conventional methods of applying RFID tags on such foil pouches and boxes make the tags difficult or impossible to read. The foil prevents the magnetic field of the RFID antenna from passing through the coils of the RFID tag antenna. Thus, the products are often not counted by the RFID inventory system.